The sting in his fingertip and the sudden burst of eerie blue light made Ryota squeeze his eyes shut. When he opened them again, the compass on the table was gone.
He froze for a second, instinctively patting the surface of the coffee table, but found nothing.
Immediately after, a vast, icy stream of information exploded deep within his mind without any warning.
It felt like a memory that didn't belong to him was being forcibly crammed inside.
[Detected compatible soul wavelength… Binding initiated…]
[Bound Object: Multiverse Compass (Damaged)]
[Sole Authorized User: Ryota]
[Core Function: Anchor Spacetime Coordinates, Open Dimensional Passage]
[Activation Rules: First activation requires 90-day energy buffer. Locks onto a single world coordinate.]
[Single Stay Duration: Base 90 natural days (extendable via consumption of Spacetime Currency).]
[Temporal Differential: Primary World : Anchored World ≈ 1 Day : 30 Days.]
[Initial Pocket Dimension: 1 cubic meter (absolutely static).]
[Warning: Energy deficient… Permissions restricted… Additional functions require replenishment of Spacetime Origin to unlock…]
Fragmented information and rules flooded through him like a tide. A violent headache erupted, his temples throbbing. He couldn't help but press a hand to his forehead.
"A hallucination? Low blood sugar? Or… a psychosomatic break from the stress?"
He gasped for air, his mind in chaos. His first thought was to question his own sanity. His sister's illness, the financial pressure, his professor's demands… it was all truly pushing him to the brink.
[Basic Empowerment initiating… Adapting based on host potential and current energy levels…]
[Empowerment 1: Multiverse Physique (Preliminary) – Guides stray energy to temper the body, the initial step beyond the mundane…]
[Empowerment 2: Eye of Truth (Low Output) – Can perceive energy flow, discern partial essential information of objects, limited to entities not significantly exceeding user's own energy level…]
[Empowerment 3: Language Proficiency (Passive) – Understanding and expression, the cornerstone of communication across realms and races…]
[Ancillary Function: Pocket Dimension (Initial 1 m³) – Anchored by consciousness, stores inanimate objects, spacetime within is stagnant…]
[Warning: Spacetime energy critically below maintenance threshold…]
The onslaught of information slowly subsided, the headache gradually receding, but Ryota's mind still buzzed. These terms were beyond his normal frame of reference; they sounded like concepts from a cheap web novel.
"The hallucinations are getting more realistic… Is this a precursor to schizophrenia?"
He leaned back on the sofa, panting, trying to use his knowledge of neuroscience to rationalize it all, but his heart hammered uncontrollably in his chest.
Just then, that faint warm current surged from deep within his body again, this time more distinct.
Where it flowed, his muscle fibers seemed to be silently reinforced. The fatigue was swiftly driven away, replaced by a previously unknown sense of vitality and energy that supplanted the earlier heaviness.
He could even faintly hear his own blood flowing faster, his heart pumping more powerfully.
Disbelieving, he raised his hand, clenching his fist, feeling a solid strength far beyond what he'd ever possessed.
He tried to sit up straight from the sofa using only his core strength, without pushing off with his arms—
An action that usually required a bit of effort now felt effortless, even carrying a strange, unfamiliar lightness.
This wasn't a dream!
This tangible, physical change couldn't be explained away as a hallucination!
Suppressing his excitement, he tried a few quick punches and evasive maneuvers in the cramped rental room. The sound of air whipping past his own movements startled him.
Speed, power, coordination… he had comprehensively surpassed his old self, perhaps even surpassing the top athletes he saw on TV.
"Hey, next door! Practicing kung fu in the middle of the damn night?! Keep making that racket and I'll curse your whole family to hell!"
A heavy thud against the wall and a stream of furious, heavily accented shouting came through the thin partition. It was the hot-tempered tenant. Usually, Ryota could only understand about a third of his dialect, and that was by guessing.
But today, that rapid-fire, angry tirade was as clear as if it had been perfectly translated. Every syllable corresponded to a crystal-clear meaning.
Including the uniquely local, creatively vulgar curses nestled within. He understood every single one.
Ryota froze mid-movement, holding his breath.
[Language Proficiency…]
From the alley below, faint barks and growls reached his ears—two stray dogs fighting over food. What used to be meaningless noise now resolved into a conversation he could comprehend.
"Piss off! This bone was mine first!"
"Hmph! Stinking thing, who wants it?! There's half a piece of fried chicken by the dumpster over there!"
A… dog argument?
He could actually understand it?
He tried mentally formulating a complex German medical term, then switched to an obscure Japanese grammatical structure…
Languages that normally required effort to recall and assemble now surfaced as naturally as his mother tongue. Pronunciation, intonation, grammar—all flawless.
He whispered them under his breath, so low it was almost inaudible, with the fluency of someone born in those countries.
"Eye of Truth!"
Next, he focused his intent on the bag of opened, mold-spotted expired bread on the table.
[Expired Whole Wheat Bread: Primary components: wheat flour, water, yeast… (Expand to view detailed composition and calorie count)]
[Contamination Status: Detected trace amounts of Aflatoxin B1 (1.2ug/kg), active Penicillium spore colonies. Recommendation: Toxic. Do not consume.]
A clear stream of information flowed directly into his mind.
Ryota's eyes narrowed further.
He immediately looked at an old, cheap-looking power strip plugged into the wall socket.
[Non-Compliant Power Strip (Off-Brand): Copper wire cross-section < 0.5mm² (Below safety standard). Severe internal connection point oxidation (22% increased resistance). Aged insulation (multiple micro-fractures, high risk of leakage). Status: Overheating (Current Temp: 48.7°C). Warning: Low fire risk!]
He could even faintly 'see' the oxidized, blackened sections of the cheap copper wires inside and the tiny cracks in the insulation.
This ability was more than just identification; it was like perspective plus an analyzer!
To test the final item, he focused on the glass cup on the coffee table.
He concentrated, attempting to activate the so-called [Pocket Dimension].
As soon as the thought formed, he saw it—a translucent one-meter cube, seemingly existing in another dimension, connected to his consciousness.
With a thought to "store," the glass cup instantly vanished from the table and appeared in the center of that cubic space, hovering motionlessly.
Ryota's breath hitched.
Despite the prior information overload and physical changes paving the way, this genuine violation of physical laws still delivered an indescribable shock.
He stared fixedly at the cup within his mental space, his heart pounding.
Another thought—
The glass cup reappeared on the table, its position exactly the same.
He repeated the experiment, storing his keys, a book, a pen…
He got faster and faster, moving from initial clumsiness to near-instantaneous execution with a single thought.
One cubic meter of space… there was so much he could do with that…
A tsunami of euphoria crashed against the walls of his rationality.
This superhuman physical prowess!
This barrier-less communication ability!
And this… this miraculous spatial ability!
With just these, even without the most core-sounding and dangerous "Multiverse Travel," he could immediately escape his predicament!
Top-tier translator? A special operative with abilities beyond normal humans?
Or… more directly, using this space…
Countless plans for rapidly acquiring vast wealth surged through his mind, each one glittering with seductive promise.
Sakura's medical bills, his parents' exhaustion, the pressure from his professor…
It all seemed like it could be shattered in the blink of an eye.
His chilled blood seemed to begin boiling, the flame of hope burning almost painfully bright.
Just as he was on the verge of being swallowed by this immense temptation, starting to plan in detail how to "safely" leverage these abilities to amass wealth—
That cold, utterly emotionless stream of information forcibly intruded upon his thoughts once more, like an ultimate ultimatum:
[Warning: Spacetime energy below critical collapse threshold. Maintaining current functions and host connection consumes origin energy.]
[Host must initiate first dimensional traversal within 72 standard hours to absorb spacetime force.]
[Failure to initiate within deadline will result in complete compass collapse, reclamation of all derived functions, and irreversible damage to host consciousness.]
[Anchored World Coordinate: Demon Slayer (Taisho Era, Japan)]
[Temporal Anchor: Approximately one year prior to story start.]
[Basic Functions Activated: Multiverse Physique (Insufficient energy, preliminary enhancement only), Eye of Truth, Language Proficiency]
[Countdown: 71:59:59…]
[Countdown: 71:59:58…]
The euphoria instantly froze solid and shattered.
The excitement and thrill drained from Ryota's face, leaving behind only an extreme, focused calm—colder even than his earlier despair.
There was no luck, no way out.
This wasn't a gift. It was a forced transaction, trading unknown dangers for a chance at known survival.
He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on his knee.
His mind began operating at an unprecedented speed, analyzing the rules, weighing the risks and potential rewards.